Thought for October 12

 History:

• 539 BC: Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon--writing on the wall
• 1285: 180 Jews refuse baptism and are set on fire--Munich
• 1492: Columbus makes landfall in Caribbean
• 1609: "Three Blind Mice" published in a book
• 1740: George Whitefield preaches to 30,000 in Boston
• 1773: America's first insane asylum opens in Virginia
• 1792: First celebration of Columbus Day--NY
• 1871: President Grant condemns KKK
• 1892: Pledge of Allegiance first recited in public schools
• 1901: Theodore Roosevelt renames Executive Mansion the White House
• 1920: Construction of Holland Tunnel begins [NYC]
• 1928: First use of iron lung--Boston Children's Hospital
• 1931: Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio opens
• 1948: Casey Stengel becomes Yankee manager
• 1950: George Burns and Gracie Allen Show premiers
• 1960: Khrushchev bangs shoe at UN
• 1964: Don Schollander wins first of 4 gold medals in Tokyo
• 1979: Larry Bird and Magic Johnson make NBA debut
• 2000: 17 crew members killed by suicide bombers aboard USS Cole
• Born: Lyman Beecher [Presbyterian minister and leader in Second Great Awakening, father of Harriet Beecher Stowe], Joe Cronin [baseball HOF], Maribel Vinson [9 time US figure skating champion], Dick Gregory, Ned Jarrett [NASCAR], Pavarotti, Sally Little, Hugh Jackman, Marion Jones, Bode Miller, Christie Kerr, 
• Died: Robert E Lee, Margaret Knight [invented flat bottom paper bag], Tom Mix, Sonja Henie, Johnny Olson [Price is Right], Jay Ward [cartoonist, Rocky & His Friends], Rene Lacoste, John Denver, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Shoemaker, Joan Kroc, 

Thought:

Have you noticed how often Christians are called bigots, biased, narrow-minded, unloving--or maybe told that Jesus would not say or do that. Well, this started long ago in 1 Kings 18:17. Elijah, at the command of the Lord, had announced that Israel would have no rain or dew until he said so. God sent Elijah to Cherith where he was fed by ravens and drank from the brook until the brook dried up. Then God sent Elijah to a widow in the territory of Sidon, outside Israel. There, the widow trusts Elijah, makes him a little bread cake, and is rewarded with a supply of flour and oil for the duration of the drought. She is also blessed when Elijah raises her son. 

As chapter 18 begins, God tells Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab. Now recall, in 17:3, God sent Elijah to "hid" himself from Ahab and Jezebel. Now God says to return to Israel and show yourself to Ahab. The famine was severe and I think Ahab was unhappy with Elijah for proclaiming the drought. But Elijah obeys God and goes to see Ahab. Now notice, when Elijah arrives, Ahab calls him "troubler of Israel." Elijah responds--I have not troubled Israel, but you have Ahab because you have forsaken God and worshipped the baals. So I want to interpret this scripture for today by seeing myself as Elijah who points out the sins of others and says that they are the cause of all our issues. They have abandoned God and followed other gods. America's problems are their fault. When they call me bigoted or narrow-minded or unloving or unlike Christ, I know they are really the problem because I am just proclaiming the truth.

But then God speaks to me--really? You are Elijah proclaiming the truth? Yes, people have abandoned God and flaunted His laws, but what about you, Larry. Are you like Elijah? Read James 5:16-18. 

• The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. This tells me that if I want to be like Elijah, I must be a righteous man and pray effectively. I am not righteous in myself, but He who knew no sin became sin that I might become the righteousness of God. But I am to pursue righteousness in my thoughts, words and deeds. And then I must pray effectively--humbly, consistently, honestly---listening twice as much as I speak. 
• Elijah had a nature like mine. He was afraid, he felt alone, he had doubts, he complained. That sounds like Larry. But he also trusted God, obeyed God, depended on God for strength, power, food, victory. That's the Elijah I need to copy. 

So my goal is to be a troubler of America---calling us back to God. but to do that I need to be like Elijah, trusting God for everything and obeying His commands. Lord help me do that today. 

Blessings

Larry